How to Help Save Coral Reefs on Your Next Pacific Island Vacation

Coming hot on the heels of news that Carnival is launching a new cruising category that emphasizes meaningful travel through social impact, Honolulu-based brand Outrigger Hotels & Resorts announces OZONE, a conservation plan to protect the coral reef systems near their beach-based properties around the world.

The first efforts have begun at Castaway Island Resort, in Fiji’s Mamanuca Islands—the brand’s first outpost. There, and eventually at all other Outrigger properties worldwide (in places like Hawaii, the Maldives, Koh Samui, and Phuket), guests can get in on the action by planting coral offshore, removing destructive seaweed from the reefs, and spreading the word.

Over 60 percent of coral reefs—an ecosystem that provides up to 15 tons of seafood per square kilometer a year and is depended upon by nearly 500 million people—are threatened by climate change, overfishing, and pollution today. The company’s ultimate goal? Cultivate a football field’s worth of new coral over the next decade, bolstering coral health while ensuring clean marine habitats for years to come. Good on you, Outrigger.

Lindsey Olander is an Assistant Editor at Travel + Leisure. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter at @lindseytravels.